Which Venomous Arthropods Are Considered The Deadliest America?
There is no shortage of online articles and blogs that discuss dangerous insects and spiders. Despite how commonly this topic is covered, there seems to be disagreement among experts concerning which arthropods are truly the most dangerous to humans. This is partly due to the fact that “dangerous” is not the same as “deadly,” and arthropods differ in the types of injuries that they inflict. For example, not all arthropod bites are dangerous solely because of the toxic venom that they transmit, as deadly infections can also develop in bite wounds that are inflicted by arthropods with relatively benign forms of venom. The rate of venomous arthropod fatalities is also increasing dramatically in the United States. Africanized honey bee attacks are becoming more frequent and they are far more venomous than many other arthropods, but these bees did not even exist in America prior to the 1960s. Also, medical technology is changing the statistics on arthropod fatalities, as people with venom allergies now carry emergency epinephrine shots known commonly as epipens. These devices save many human lives that would otherwise have been lost to venomous arthropod injuries. Between 2008 and 2016, an average of 86 deaths occurred each year as a result of venomous animal attacks, but only 46 fatalities of this sort occurred between 1950 and 1959. Considering these factors, declaring one single arthropod as “the most dangerous” is not as clear cut as it may seem.
Between 2001 and 2013 an average of seven people died each year from spider bites. Most of these deaths were caused by brown recluse bites, as no antivenom yet exists to treat brown recluse bites. Between 1999 and 2007 only five people were killed from stings inflicted by Arizona bark scorpions. Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised people are the only groups of people that are at risk of dying from bark scorpion stings. Bees and wasps are easily the most deadly types of arthropods, as they were responsible for a total of 509 deaths between 1999 and 2007. Yellowjackets and Africanized bees are the most aggressive of this group, and if their nests are disturbed, they can swarm for a full 24 hours, attacking every human and animal in sight.
Have you ever found a brown recluse spider in your home? Did you mercifully transport it outdoors? Or did you kill it?
